Locomotive ash chute and flusher.



W. J. BROWN. LOUOMOTIVE ASH GHUTE AND FLUSHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1909.

Patented Mar.22,1910.

WILLIAM J. BROWN,

OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

LOCOMOTIVE ASH CHUTE AND FLUSHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Application filed March 11, 1909. Serial No. 482,756.

To all whom it may concern:

3e it known that I, VILLIAM J. Bnowx, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Ash Chutes andFlushers, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the drawings forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction foraffording facility for dumping the ashes from the ash pan of alocomotive while on the track and sii'nultaneously wetting them down toprevent the rising of dust and communication of fire.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown anddescribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure l is a plan view of a section of railway trackequipped with devices constituting my invention. F 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at the line 83 on Fig. 1.

For the purpose of this invention two switch tracks, A and B, arearranged side by side, one elevated higher than the other and providedwith suitably inclined approach, shown at A Under the elevated trackthere are mounted side by side plurality of chutes, G, inclined from theouter side of said track down toward the vertical plane of the innerside and past said inner side so as to overhang the lower track, B, onwhich there will be stationed when the device is to be used, a suitablecar, D, for receiving the ashes which may be dumped from a locomotivestanding upon the horizontal track over the chutes, C. Each chute, C, isdesigned to have its dimension in the direction of the length of thetrack, which may be called its width, sufficient to underhang the entireopening of the ash pan of the locomotive through which the ashes aredischarged; and the locomotive will be halted with its ash panoverhanging any one of the chutes and moved on to another if necessaryto empty the ash pan without overfilling the particular portion of thecar, D, into which the discharge will be delivered from the first chute.

From any suitable source of supply, as 2 water main, E, which mayextend, as shown, alongside the lower track, a riser, E supplies ahorizoiital header, E which is situated at the side of the upper tracktoward the lower, and at a position a little lower l than said uppertrack, so that the outleading i l] i 1 I i branches, Ffi, may extendunder the inside ail of said upper track and be provided with asprinkler head, Fl, underneath said track overhanging each of thechutes, C. This sprinkler head is preferably perforated orlongitudinally slotted to discharge inwardly with respect to thetrack,that is, across the space through which the ashes will fall fromthe ash pan, so that they may be thoroughly wetted in their descent,which tends to prevent the excessive spread of dust from the ashes. If asingle line of discharge is desired it is preferably made to di rect thedischarge downwardly as well as inwardly, so that by continuing thedischarge after the ashes have all been delivered from the pan, thechute may be washed clean. If preferred, two lines of dischargeapertures may be provided, one directed horizontally, and the otherdownwardly,the first to attack and wet the ashes in their fall, thesecond to flush the chute. This detail modification is shown in Fig. 8.A valve, F, is provided in each outleading branch, a having its stem, f,extended upward and provided with a handle, F in convenient reach of thefireman while standing on the cab step, so that the water can he turnedon when the ash pan is dumped.

In some situations it may be desirable to have the chutes, C, jointed sothat the discharge end portion may be folded up out of the path of highcars or locomotives which it may be necessary to send past the device onthe lower track. A construction for that purpose is shown in thedrawings, in which Fig. 4 represents the end portion, C of each chutepivoted for folding up to the position shown in dotted line in thatfigure.

I claim 1. In combination, two railway track sections arranged side byside substantially parallel, one higher than the other; an ash chutemounted under the higher track and inclined downward and crosswise ofthe same and overhanging the lower track, in combination with a waterdischarge head overhanging the chute under the higher track, incombination with a water supply thereto, the discharge end portion ofthe chute being mounted for swinging transversely of the lower track toclear the path of cars or locomotives moving thereon.

2. In combination, two railway track sections arranged side by side,substantially parallel, one higher than the other; an ash chute mountedunder the higher track and inclined down crosswise of the same andoverhanging the lower track, in combination with a water discharge headoverhanging the chute under the higher track, means for supplying waterto such discharge head, and a Valve for controlling such supply havingits operating handle positioned above the level of the higher track atthe side thereof toward the lower track.

3. In combination, two railway track sections arranged side by side,substantially parallel, one higher than the other, a plurality of ashchutes mounted under the higher track, extending down obliquelytransversely thereof from the side remote from the lower track to apoint overhanging said lower track; a water supply pipe extending alongthe inner side of the higher track; sprinkler heads connected with saidwater supply pipe overhanging the chutes respectively; valves forseparately controlling the supply of water from such sprinkler heads,

said valves having their projecting handles positioned above the levelof the higher track and on the side thereof toward the lower track.

4. In combination, two railway track sections side by side, one higherthan the other; a plurality of ash chutes extending under the highertrack from the side remote from said lower track obliquely downward to apoint overhanging said lower track; sprinkler heads overhanging thechutes respectively and means for supplying water to said sprinklerheads; means for controlling such supply to said heads independently ofeach other, said means being positioned above the level of the highertrack and on the side thereof toward the lower track.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftwo witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 8th day of March,

l/VILLIAM J. BROIVN. In the presence of- JAMES E. SNOOK, CHAS. S.BURTON.

